The CEO of Anglo-Australian mining giant Rio Tinto visited Serbia on Saturday to try to reassure locals about the company’s controversial lithium mining project, local media reported.
Serbia has vast lithium deposits near the western town of Loznica and mining projects have been a constant source of political conflict in the Balkan country in recent years because of their potential environmental impact.
Rio Tinto CEO Jakob Stausholm attended a meeting with President Aleksandar Vucic and residents in Ljubovia, in the country’s west, on Saturday and vowed to protect both the environment and people, according to Beta news agency.
“Our biggest challenge is winning the trust of the people who live here,” Stausholm told Beta.
“One of the reasons I’m here today is to share our commitment with you as a reflection of our dedication to the environment and the safety of our people,” he said.
This includes the safety of people working in the mines and those living near them, and environmental safety so that water, soil and natural habitats are clean and safe, he said.
Vucic himself is on a five-day tour of the proposed mine area to talk to local residents.
“These will be difficult and tough talks, but I believe they will produce important dialogue,” he said Friday.
Serbia’s Supreme Court in July overturned an earlier government decision to halt the project, which was set to be a key source of power to drive Europe’s green energy transition, following a series of protests in 2021.
The decision sparked new protests across the country, the largest of which took to the streets of the capital, Belgrade, in early August, blocking major roads and occupying two main train stations.
Dozens of activists were arrested.
Despite the protests, the government signed a memorandum of understanding with the European Union in July, seen as a first step in developing Serbia’s lithium resources.
Bar Rzhev/Im
Rio Tinto PLC
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